Advances in miniaturization technology have resulted in the development of increasingly small electronic devices for sensing a diverse array of quantities. Similar advances in wireless communication technology combined with the increased popularity of interconnected computer systems, such as the Internet, provide the technology necessary to cost effectively transfer vast amounts of data between two or more computers. The combination of such technologies provide the ability to use small sensors and processors to monitor, track and transmit data.
Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFIDs), for example, are low-cost, “smart” chips or “tags” that can be embedded in or attached to articles, products, and the like to convey information about the product via a scanner. The smart tags are generally small label-like devices with a micro-chip and a miniature embedded antenna. The tags may be passive or active, the active tags requiring an internal power supply. A reader or scanner interrogates the smart tag with an electronic “trigger” signal. The tag in turn generates an electromagnetic pulse response that is readable by the scanner, the response containing the product information. RFID smart tags can be embedded in or attached to product packaging, or incorporated directly into the product, and may convey conventional “bar code” information, as well as other more detailed information.
Various commercial applications have been suggested for smart tags, particularly in the area of retail marketing and sales. For example, RFID technology may be used to gather information related to consumer trends, purchasing habits, consumption rates, etc. It has also been suggested that RFID technology has promise in the areas of inventory control, manufacturing process and control, product accountability, tracking systems, etc. Manufacturers, shippers, and retailers may be able to follow a given product through their respective systems from initial production through to point of sale. It has been suggested that other applications may include shopping carts that automatically charge a bank account, refrigerators that tap into the Internet to automatically reorder items that are running low, and interactive televisions linked to such refrigerators that will feed targeted commercials and special offers to consumers.
Electronic devices, such as RFIDs, typically include a data circuit in communication with an antenna. The data circuit, for instance, may comprise an integrated circuit chip that may include various electronic components. The antennae, on the other hand, have been formed in the past from conductive inks or from metallic foils. Problems have also been experienced, however, in incorporating the antennae into consumer goods, other products, or into the packaging in which the goods are to be shipped and sold. Metallic antennae, for instance, are unsuitable for use in some products. In addition, many of the antennae proposed in the past can add significant cost to the product.
In view of the above, a need exists for a signal generating device that has an improved antenna construction. In particular, a need exists for a low cost antennae that is made from recyclable/sustainable materials and that is easy to incorporate into packaged consumer goods.